Being a Barn Owl Monitor .................................................... Dave Pearsons

Being a Barn Owl Monitor

About seven years ago whilst on a SOG field trip to Orfordness I was asked by Steve Piotrowski whether I was prepared to become an Area Coordinator for the Suffolk Community Barn Owl Project. Forgetting the golden rule that it is easier to say no and then change your mind I said yes! A decision I have never regretted. I am responsible for overseeing the other local monitors in my area together with 184 boxes in the south-east of Suffolk. Of those, I monitor around 30 boxes and the remaining boxes I allocate to the other very keen monitors. Once I had attended my day’s training course including compulsory ladder training and I understood the legal obligations, off I set to do my monitoring. Alas disappointment, as I quickly learnt that not every box had a breeding pair of owls in it, in fact the majority didn’t. In 2017, 33 of the 184 boxes had signs of Barn Owl activity in, so there is still potential for a lot of additional new Barn Owl chicks for the county of Suffolk. This article is my brief account of the joys and disappointments I have experienced in being a monitor. My first ever visit, box empty. The 2nd visit, a box full of sticks - Jackdaw presence. The 3rd visit, two white eggs - Stock Dove presence. Then on my 7th visit, “wow” four fluffy barn owl chicks staring back at me. Amazing - from that point forward I was hooked and this is why I am I glad I said yes, those small heart-shaped faces were a sensational moment! Some of my other memorable moments include: • Inspecting a box in a churchyard with a ladder on my roof rack when suddenly the vicar arrived on the scene. Initially

I think that she thought we were pinching the lead. Instead she was treated to the sight of four Barn Owls ready to fledge. • The ‘Krypton Factor’ type challenge that ended in a field where unfriendly bulls were normally present. Ah ha they are not there. Oh no! Yes they are and sitting right under the box! Two Barn

Owl chicks were present in that box. • Being present when Barn Owl chicks were ringed in Levington to find one breeding the following year in Alderton and to learn that one of them was successfully breeding in Cornwall, amazing. • Finding Barn Owls in a primary school box and being asked to dissect pellets for the school pupils. • The excitement of box owners when you inform them that they have Barn

Owl chicks in their box, priceless. • The box owner who wasn’t keen on me disturbing his box, so we sat in his hide for sometime and watched the male dropping voles into the box, four Barn

Owl chicks fledged from this box. Sadly not all fledged birds make it and some are found deceased within one kilometre of where they were fed and nurtured by their parents. Other occupants that I have found in the boxes include Tawny and Little Owl, Kestrel, Stock Dove and Jackdaw. One of the less pleasant activities of being a monitor is